"The fundamental factor is proportion,” said this icon of Danish design and minimalist style shortly before his death in 1971. Though trained as an architect (and he abhorred being called a designer), Arne Jacobsen perhaps is most remembered today for his furniture, lighting and household objects. His 3-legged Ant Chair (1951) inspired by a Charles Eames plywood chair was an instant classic and led to other sculptural furnishings such as the Egg Chair and Swan seating series.

Born in 1902, he originally trained as a bricklayer before studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Arts. Visiting the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Art Decoratifs in Paris, he was forever influenced by the modernists Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. A major figure in Danish architecture, Arne Jacobsen’s more memorable products include the 1960s Cylinda line of bar and table goods for Stelton, acclaimed with numerous international design awards.